Why Talent and Hard Work Are No Longer Enough

Things have truly changed in our society. In Nigeria today, success is no longer primarily about hard work, regardless of your field or profession. While things have never been easy, the current phase we are going through as a nation is even more discouraging.

Let me be clear: I am not here to condemn my country; I love Nigeria. But we must face the truth. If you are relying solely on hard work, your journey to success may take far longer than it should.

Why? Because it is now more about:

Connections : Who you know and how influential those people are matters more than ever.

 Money: Cash has become a fast-track tool. If you have it, you can often bypass the long road others travel.

This unfortunate reality leaves the less privileged at a serious disadvantage. And it should not be this way.

I am not trying to discourage anyone. In fact, I respect talent and hard work. But let’s be honest: in today’s Nigeria, talent alone is not enough. For example, no matter how good you are at playing football, you may never make it to the Flying Eagles unless you have strong connections backing your skills.

This situation is disheartening. Many hard-working people feel overlooked and unappreciated. It is time we restored integrity and sanity in our country.

Let’s build a society that:

Rewards devotion and excellence

Motivates the diligent and committed

Creates equal opportunities for all regardless of background.

Hard work should count again. Talent should be recognised again. Nigeria can do better, and we must demand better.

Do you agree that connection now matters more than hard work in Nigeria?
What can we do to change this?